US2464386A - Baseball game - Google Patents

Description

W. G. FLETCHER BASEBALL GAME March 15 1949.

Filed July 1, 1947 V gin/H? ///////////////fl7/ r///// 1 N VEN TOR.

- M t%izz22 @l/cer A TTURNEY Patented Mar. 15, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BASEBALL GAME William G. Fletcher, Bogota, N. J.

Application July 1, 1947, Serial No. 758,386

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a baseball game adapted for use as an indoor sport.

I have found from my study of the prior art baseball games that they are more or less compli cated and, therefore, expensive so that many families with a number of children cannot afford to buy them.

It is, therefore, the principal object of my invention to provide a baseball game that is interesting, and one that can be made cheaply, and hence sold at a reasonable price.

Anotherobject of my invention is to provide a baseball game wherein the ball may be delivered toward the home plate at numerous angles, even with a round pitching arm.

Another object of my invention is to provide a ball game in which the pitching arm may be operated from either side of the game board so as to accommodate right or left handed people.

These and other objects will appear from the following specification taken in connection with the annexed drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the game board.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

In the drawing the game board has a field plate I with sides 2 and 3 and ends 4 and 5. The ends and sides being held together in any satis factory manner as by screws, while field plate I is positioned in channels in the side members 2 and 3, as indicated by the broken lines 6 and I. The field plate I has a diamond D marked thereon with home plate H and with first base B1, second base B2, and third base B3. The plate I also has a pitching slot or opening 8 therein to accommodate an arm 9 fastened to an operating rod I which extends transversely across the board and having its ends projected through the side members 2 and 3 so as to be engaged by an operator for turning the arm 9, which when in the full delivery position has its free end slightly below the surface of the plate I so as not to interfere with the ball II shown as being sent away from the bat I2. By transversely, is meant at right angles to a straight line through second base, the central axis of the pitching slot and the home plate. The bat I2 is pivoted on a stud I3 attached to the plate I. A spring M has one end fastened to the stud l3 and its opposite end in engagement with a staple I5. Spring I4 acts to return the bat after it has been operated by placing the thumb against the hand portion I6 and moved so as to carry the bat end I'I of the bat backward into striking position. A notch I8 is cut in the side member 2 for a finger of the hand of an operator whose thumb is placed 2 against the end I5 of the bat I2, the side 2 being cut away at I9 to provide room for movement of the thumb while engagement with the hand portion It of the bat I2. Preferably the side 2 has a bumper 20 to receive the end ll of the bat, if a blow has been struck hard enough to carry the bat end over to the side 2.

The end 5 is provided with a series of holes in which pins may be inserted to keep track of balls, strikes and outs, together with visitors runs and runs for the home team.

Adjacent the end 5 and fastened to side pieces 2 and 3 is an arcuately formed stop member 2I, preferably in the form of wire, the ends of which are bent downwardly and forced into holes in the sides 2 and 3. This wire acts as a deflecting bar to stop the ball I I and cause it to drop downward onto a shelf 22 fastened as by screws to the end 5. The shelf 22 may be held in channels in the side pieces 2 and 3 in the same manner as the plate I is held therein. The shelf 22 has holes or depressions 23 arcuately positioned therein, and in alignment with these holes or depressions are designations marked on the plate I to identify the type of hit that has been made by the batter.

It will be noted that the slot or orifice 8 is wider toward the end at second base B2 than at the end toward the home plate. In other words the orifice 8 has tapering sides so that when the end of I0 is to be operated on it may be moved to the right or left to carry the arm 9 off the center line. Then when the rod I0 is turned the arm 9, which is behind the ball toward second base will follow the tapering sides to the apex thereby hitting and following up the ball on a continuously varying angle, causing it to curve either in or out as it approaches the home plate. The speed of the ball, of course, can be varied by the amount of twisting force applied to the rod l0.

Likewise, the batter can regulate his stroke by the amount which he moves the batting end H of the bat 62 against the tension of the spring I4.

Preferably the game board is provided with bumpers 24 of soft rubber so that the board may be placed on a bare table top without marring it. It will be understood that many of the details of construction may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention and the scope of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A baseball game including a playing board having a ball diamond with the usual home plate, and first, second, and third bases laid out thereon in the usual manner, a pitching slot of varying width in the board between second base and the home plate to receive a ball having a diameter greater than any width of the slot, the slot being in alignment with the second base and home plate and having its widest end nearest second base, a hand operating rod passing transversely, as defined herein, across the under side of the board and supported thereby so it may be rotated and/or shifted longitudinally of its axis and extending beyond at least one. edge of the board so as to be gripped by the hand of an operator, an arm fastened to said rod and normally protruding upwardly through said slot at its widest end toward second base so as to be behind" and hit the ball at different places on its surface to determine the path of movement of the ball when the rod is transversely positioned and rotated by an operator.

2. A baseball game including a playing board having a ball diamondlwith the usual home plate and first, second, and third bases laid out thereon in the usual manner, a pitching slot in the board between second base and the home. plate to receive a ball having a diameter: greater than the width of the slot, the slot beingv wider at. the end nearest second base and. tapering towardthe'home plate, a hand operated rod passing transversely as defined herein across the under side of the board and supportedthereby so it may be rotated and/or shifted longitudinally of its axis and extending beyond at least one edge of the board so as to be gripped by the hand of an operator, an arm fastened to said rod and normally protruding upwardly through said slot, at its widest end toward second base so as to be behind and hit the ball at the Widest part of the slot and finish its contact with the ball at the narrow part of the slot thereby determining the path of movement of the ball when the rod is transversely positioned and rotated by an operator.

3, A baseball game as defined in claim 1 further characterized in that the length of the rod arm and slot are such that when the end of the rod reaches the end of the slot nearest the home plate it will not interefere with the ball if the same is batted directly at said slot end nearest the home plate.

WILLIAM G. FLETCHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED- STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,094,559 Harrison Apr. 28, 1914 1,157,913 Twibell w Oct. 26, 1915 1,586,315 Luckenbill May 25, 1926 1,808,802 Weinberg; June 9, 1931 2,246,115 Volz June 17, 1941 2,382,329 Munro Aug. 14, 1945

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